Compliance · 4 min read
CAC Annual Returns - Cost, Deadlines, and Penalties in 2026
Skipping annual returns gets your company marked 'inactive' and blocks bank, SCUML and tender activities. Here's the simple version.
Every CAC-registered entity - Business Name, LTD, NGO - must file annual returns. Ignoring it has real consequences in 2026.
What happens if you don't file
- Company status changes to 'inactive' on CAC portal
- Banks may freeze or restrict the corporate account
- You can't get a fresh status report (needed for tenders, contracts, visas)
- Penalties accumulate yearly - eventually leading to strike-off
Filing basics
- Business Names: file yearly from the year after registration
- LTDs: file 18 months after incorporation, then yearly
- NGOs: yearly plus updated statement of affairs
- Fees vary by entity type and back-years owed - confirm with AMG
Filing 3 years of back returns at once is common - AMG can clean up your file in days.